There’s 4 days until ballots are due, and only 15% of Oaklanders have cast their ballot! Vernetta Woods, Integrated Voter Engagement (IVE) Team Leader at Oakland Rising, joined us in conversation at this week’s Monday Meals to share more about getting out the vote before November 8th!
Vernetta Woods, who lives and organizes in East Oakland, shared, “That is a misconception – that the flatlands are not aware or woke. We are aware, we are woke, we are voting, and we do know what we are voting on and voting for. We just want to see the results now, which is not happening.”
“I think the system is really rigged and is set up in a way to one, exclude Black folks, exclude indigenous people, exclude people of color, exclude poor people. That the system really isn’t made for us, it was made for white folks, specifically white men in this country. But I have come to really understand that and look at voting as really important especially locally because those are the things that directly impact my life and impact our communities,” liz suk shared. “When I came to Oakland Rising, I really started to have a different understanding about electoral power and political power, and using the electoral system to build more people power. It is a way to talk to people about issues in a way that grassroots organizing takes many years. I’ve come to really appreciate electoral work because of that.”
Here the full conversation!